A Data Sharing Powerhouse

Open Data, Open Possibilities

The Netherlands is setting the bar for open data regionally With an 81% of maturity score, it ranks just behind the EU27 average (82%), showing a well-established yet continuously evolving data ecosystem.

But what makes the country a leader?

• Strong Governance (94%) – Clear policies, structured frameworks, and well-defined roles.
• High engagement (89%) – Businesses, researchers, and public services actively reuse data.
• Stable infrastructure (82%) – A well-maintained and sustainable open data portal.

With 22,900+ data sets across 17 themes, the Dutch open data platform fuels innovation in healthcare, finance, energy, logistics and beyond. (1)

Data in Action: Sector by Sector

The Netherlands is not just collecting data–it’s making it work! The country boasts 47+ data-sharing initiatives, each driving transformation across industries:

• Healthcare (12 initiatives): Advancing research, patient data exchange, and digital health.
• Public Services (7 initiatives): Enabling smart cities and seamless government services.
• Finance (6 initiatives): Powering secure transactions, fraud prevention, and open banking.
• Energy (5 initiatives): Driving smart grids and energy consumption insights.

The interest is also growing in mobility, manufacturing, logistics and agriculture, where data is already unlocking new efficiencies and innovations.

With hundreds of organisations and 84+ service providers offering data-sharing tools, the Netherlands is proving that data is the new infrastructure for progress. (2)(3)

The Future: Ethical, Secure and Smart

The Netherlands isn’t just leading in data sharing–it’s ensuring trust, security, and ethical governance remain at the core. The focus?

• Standardised protocols for seamless collaboration.
• Semantic clarity to ensure data is meaningful and usable.
• Privacy-enhancing technologies to protect sensitive information.

As data flows grow, the Netherlands is shaping a future where data fuels innovation responsibly.

References:

1. Centre of Excellence for Data Sharing and Cloud (2024). Landscape Scan: Dutch Data Sharing Initiatives & Service Providers. 
2. Data Europa. EU. (2024). Open data maturity. 
3. European Union (2024). European open data portals: Spotlight on the Netherlands’ impactful initiatives.